My wife is taking another trip to Napa - without her wine snob husband and alleged lover of Ovid - with her tennis friends. They want to visit some wineries. While they want to have fun, they are not the Del Dotto crowd, but nor are they wine snobs. They drink and enjoy quality wine, and I think (not sure since she handles the bills) have some money to blow.

Any recommendations on a quality wine tasting and tour, that is a balanced combination of educational, fun and enjoyable from a wine tasting perspective? One that was nice grounds, perhaps lunch, even better. She enjoyed Ram’s Head immensely. A winery with whites and reds is ideal.

Alfie, I would recommend Switchback Ridge (in Calistoga) and Riverain/Mending Wall (in Oakville)--both are off Silverado Trail. Riverain is owned by Steve Nordhoff, who is frequently a poster on the board here. Steve can get her set up for a tasting, and I would have you reach out to Kelly directly to set up an appointment.

I am sure you are going to get a long list of visit suggestions. Good luck.

Mumm is a nice visit, beautiful patio with enjoyable sparkling wines. An interesting rotating photography visit they can take a quick wander through, including a permanent exhibit of some beautiful and classic Ansel Adams prints.

I would always skip lunch at a winery in favor of sitting out on the terrace at Auberge du Soleil, or out on the patio at Solbar farther north in Calistoga (both higher end dining).

As for winery visits, the classic stop is Montelena (close to Solbar for lunch)

110% agree. Rick Patton and Jean Hoeffliger (sp) are tremendous. Jean has some other really good projects, but if you can fandangle a private room tasting at Alpha Omega it's really excellent and a great blend.

B Cellars wine and food tasting is really fun, but most of their really good cabs are not on the pour. If you ask, though, they'll pour you a glass.

Schramsberg top wines and cheese pairing is the best brunch tasting in Napa.

Round Pond does a reserve wine and lunch pairing tasting that is supposed to be a ton of fun, even if the wines are not going to be board favorite quality.

And Bevan has a pretty rowdy tasting up near Calistoga that is highly recommended.

Next Alfert thread topics:
"Help my wife find a Caymus killer"
"How long were you on the Saxum waiting list before you got an offer? (asking for my wife)"
"My, uh, wife wants to know if $300 is the new $150"

Next Alfert thread topics:
"Help my wife find a Caymus killer"
"How long were you on the Saxum waiting list before you got an offer? (asking for my wife)"
"My, uh, wife wants to know if $300 is the new $150"

Yea, but I dun’t think I’ve has any agregious typos!

Should I ask about wineries with private landing strips? Planes, not helicopters.

Joseph Phelps has very interesting tastings / seminars (private tasting, blending seminar, aroma challenge) that are fun and educational. Plus their Pinots (and dare I say, even Chards) have recently been on a very positive trajectory, in addition to the classic Napa Cabs...

If they want an easy day, go to the Oxbow Market. Tasting rooms across the street south, across the street west and inside the Market. Food includes Gott's Roadside Grill, Fatted Calf Deli, Kara's cupcake factory, Hog Island Oyster bar and a ton more. Taste and eat on foot in a one block radius.

Randy Bowman wrote:
If they want an easy day, go to the Oxbow Market. Tasting rooms across the street south, across the street west and inside the Market. Food includes Gott's Roadside Grill, Fatted Calf Deli, Kara's cupcake factory, Hog Island Oyster bar and a ton more. Taste and eat on foot in a one block radius.

This is an excellent idea. Additionally, a few blocks west on 1st Street or Main Street there are a number of tasting rooms. Mayacamas has a tasting room on 1st Street that usually has a nice selection to taste.

I second going for some bubbles, if they are into it. The sparkling houses have some of the best wines and facilities to experience in the valley. Domaine Carneros is also pretty solid as is Gloria Ferrer.

If they get tired of flights, I'd suggest to go straight btg/split bottles of the really good stuff.

Schramsberg, palmaz (state of the art facility), Barnett on spring mountain if you like great views, round pond also does a nice job as others mentioned. Alpha Omega does a nice job but you could also stop by without a reservation if you want to hang out and try a few wines.

Robert, I do have to congratulate you. I have taken my wife on many wine trips and she enjoys most of them. But, I do not see her going to a winery without me. Great job.

Started out right: Chinon, Bordeaux and Cognac for our honeymoon, with the obligatory few days in Paris; and then Rhone region the next year. #lifestyle.

Her friends are all really cool, enjoy nice wines, just don’t get all dorked up like us. Or hoard stuff, while planning for the 50 year storm.

And remember, Howard, this is Napa, which is like Disney for adults.

I understand (although I really think of France as Disney for adults). But, most non wine geek people visiting Napa would be looking for spas in Calistoga.

And, yes. On our first date, we went to a play and I asked her whether she wanted to go afterwards to a bar or a wine bar. She picked wine bar. On either our second or third date, we just did wine bar. Sometime early on, she told me she liked Liebfraumilch. A few months (and a number of really good Rieslings later), we were at a party where someone served Blue Nun and she told me she did not like this anymore. On our first trip to France (a couple of years after we got married), we spent a few days in Burgundy. So, I understand. And, I still don't think she would go to a winery without me unless others were insisting.

Chris and I went to a wine bar on our first date as well, Dexter’s. It’s still around. They also have their own California wine made and bottled. I still have a bottle of the 92 Cab, the year of our first date there. Had intended to pop it in an anniversary, but being a regular dude, I forgot! The owner thinks the wine is like dead, but you never know!

If they want an easy day, go to the Oxbow Market. Tasting rooms across the street south, across the street west and inside the Market. Food includes Gott's Roadside Grill, Fatted Calf Deli, Kara's cupcake factory, Hog Island Oyster bar and a ton more. Taste and eat on foot in a one block radius.

Chris and I went to a wine bar on our first date as well, Dexter’s. It’s still around. They also have their own California wine made and bottled. I still have a bottle of the 92 Cab, the year of our first date there. Had intended to pop it in an anniversary, but being a regular dude, I forgot! The owner thinks the wine is like dead, but you never know!

Joseph Phelps has very interesting tastings / seminars (private tasting, blending seminar, aroma challenge) that are fun and educational. Plus their Pinots (and dare I say, even Chards) have recently been on a very positive trajectory, in addition to the classic Napa Cabs...

If you can swing a Le Nez du Vin tasting and seminar at Joseph Phelps, you should absolutely do it. The most fun group tasting experience I've ever had.

. . .
Schramsberg top wines and cheese pairing is the best brunch tasting in Napa. . . .

I have not done this but I have heard from a lot of people that Schramsberg is a good visit. Same for Domaine Carneros, which I have also not done.

I recommend both, but they're very different. Schramsberg is kind of old and grizzly looking with some neat old-build house buildings, but when you go inside, it's into a room on the edge of their caves and looks and feels like it. The tasting area is quaint and nice, but nothing like Carneros, which is built like a gaudy chateau. Even so, the patio area at Carneros is really lovely, and sitting out there in perfect weather drinking a flight of their good stuff is pretty enjoyable. Schramsberg's location gives you much better access to the valley, though. You could do a 10:00 tour, then hit lunch somewhere nearby and be right in St. Helena. Gotta drive for Carneros.

I agree on the Phelps recommendation. The tasting room is unbelievably gorgeous -- rustic for rich people. A wealthy country lawwyer like you would feel right at home. We did a blending tasting there and it was very fun. I felt it was a bit scripted, but the people they hire are trained extremely well, so it ddidn't bother me much.

Alpha Omega is another nice suggestion. I had a bit of a hard time with it because we tasted so many wines that they all got jumbled together.

Chris and I went to a wine bar on our first date as well, Dexter’s. It’s still around. They also have their own California wine made and bottled. I still have a bottle of the 92 Cab, the year of our first date there. Had intended to pop it in an anniversary, but being a regular dude, I forgot! The owner thinks the wine is like dead, but you never know!

Was that Cab made by Ovid?

That would be quite the metamorphosis.

I find it amusing that the Roman family name - i.e., Ovid - was possibly derived from Latin ovis, "a sheep".

I agree on the Phelps recommendation. The tasting room is unbelievably gorgeous -- rustic for rich people. A wealthy country lawwyer like you would feel right at home. We did a blending tasting there and it was very fun. I felt it was a bit scripted, but the people they hire are trained extremely well, so it ddidn't bother me much.

Alpha Omega is another nice suggestion. I had a bit of a hard time with it because we tasted so many wines that they all got jumbled together.

I was at Phelps a couple of times years ago and very much enjoyed the visits. It is beautiful there. But, Robert, the wines there IMHO are no longer made like the classic wines made in the 1970s and 1980s. I probably stopped drinking their wines 10-15 years ago because they had gotten modern in style. Unless their style has changed again, I have not followed them in a long time, she should only go there if she is looking for a more modern styled wine.

Does Chandon still have a beautiful restaurant for al fresco lunching?

It closed several years ago. In the day, Etoile was wonderful.

The Duckhorn property is a nice spot with outdoor options. And if you know a club member, the private patio at Domaine Carneros is a great spot, but even the public area has some great views, with the Di Rosa Art Center just across the street (www.dirosaart.org).

Shafer is a great visit also, they limit it to 10 at a time, so this would be good for a mid-sized group to do a private tasting. Doug came in to say hello the time that we went, that sounds common in the WV, but I assume that it is rare to shake hands with the winemaker/owner at many places in Napa.

Alfie, I would recommend Switchback Ridge (in Calistoga) and Riverain/Mending Wall (in Oakville)--both are off Silverado Trail. Riverain is owned by Steve Nordhoff, who is frequently a poster on the board here. Steve can get her set up for a tasting, and I would have you reach out to Kelly directly to set up an appointment.

I am sure you are going to get a long list of visit suggestions. Good luck.

Correction: for logistics/planning, Mending Wall is in St. Helena, on the Silverado Trail, very close to the Calistoga line.

MerrillEMH Vineyards - Home of the Black Cat
email:Merrill@EMHVineyards.com

I'll agree with others and say that a private tasting at A/O would likely please her and her crew. Another recommendation would be Hunnicutt, beautiful location, cave tour but not a la Del Blotto and very well made wines. I'm generally not a chardonnay lover but was impressed enough to purchase some when out there earlier this year along with their Wayside Cab.